Pennsylvania Sea Grant

Pennsylvania Sea Grant

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Sea Grant College Program have awarded Sea Grant College status to Penn State based on the strength of Pennsylvania Sea Grant, a research and outreach program operated by Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The designation reflects a sustained commitment to managing marine and coastal resources across the Commonwealth, including the Lake Erie, Delaware River and Susquehanna River watersheds.

Be a tourist on the lake with Pennsylvania Sea Grant's Science on the Water series. Beginning July 16, Sea Grant will host a monthly series of educational, science-based tours on Lake Erie. The series targets the general public and is suitable for a non-technical audience. Each tour will be held on the Presque Isle Aqua Bus water taxi, departing from Waterworks at Presque Isle State Park. Boarding will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. All tours will end at 8 p.m.

In an effort to further fight state funding losses, Pennsylvania Sea Grant has partnered with the U.S. Brig Niagara to offer area school students an educational opportunity that is the first of its kind aboard the historic brig. As part of Sea Grant's Tall Ships science program, the Niagara will serve as a floating classroom for 270 students next week.

Pennsylvania Sea Grant will facilitate a two-day Best Management Practices workshop for landscapers, realtors, environmental engineers, surveyors, municipal officials, and other professionals whose work touches the Lake Erie region's environmentally fragile shorelines. The Best Management Practices for Professionals workshop will be held April 20-21, in Geneva on the Lake, Ohio. Monday, April 20, will be a full day of presentations at the Lodge and Conference Center at Geneva, located at 4888 North Broadway (State Route 534). Tuesday, April 21, will be used for site visits.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that Pennsylvania Sea Grant has been promoted to Institutional Sea Grant Program status. Pennsylvania Sea Grant is administered by Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and staffs two locations -- a Lake Erie Office in the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle State Park and a Delaware Estuary Office in the Delaware County city of Chester. Institutional status designation gives Pennsylvania Sea Grant primary responsibility for statewide oversight of long-term investments consistent with NOAA's national Sea Grant goal of environmental stewardship and responsible resource use. The announcement was made last week.